All Strokes – Kickboard Flip

Why do it:
During your kick sets, while you’re working your legs, kickboard flips will allow you to also work your underwater dolphin kicks.

How to do it:1 – During your kick set, approach the wall, and one stroke prior to the turn, pull one arm down to pull into the wall.2 – Follow the arm around and perform a flip turn.3 – Get both hands on the board prior to leaving the wall.4 – Push off into a few underwater dolphin kicks.

How to do it really well (the fine points):
This really has nothing to do with the flip turn, but rather, the underwater dolphins. Doing the flip turn will help overload the lungs just a bit and train you better to get used to managing your air control when you’re swimming.

Push off a bit downward, not flat, as the board will force you back to the surface too quickly. The buoyancy of the board will help you learn how ride the natural direction of the body upward while the lungs are still full of air.

Count your dolphin kicks when you start a set, and challenge yourself to maintain that number through the entire kick set.